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Mpg scandal pushes Mitsubishi to $1.4B loss
The company has not posted a loss in eight years.
Mitsubishi expects its fiscal year to end in a nearly $1.4 billion net loss as profits are erased by the ongoing fuel-economy scandal.
The company last week set aside $480 million to compensate customers who purchased vehicles with overstated mpg ratings. The first pool of cash was reserved exclusively for Mitsubishi-badged vehicles, however the company is also expected to provide compensation for jointly-produced vehicles sold by Nissan.
The loss reflects an additional one-time charge of approximately $950 million to compensate Nissan and dealers.
The compensation programs include flat-rate payouts and variable payments based on actual fuel expenditures. The Japanese government has claimed some vehicles overstated fuel efficiency by up to 16 percent.
Despite taking a one-time charge for expected compensation programs, the company still faces potential trouble selling new cars. Global car sales are expected to fall by eight percent to 962,000 vehicles this fiscal year, while Japan are on track to collapse by 41 percent to 60,000 units, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Photo by Ben Hsu.


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The Verizon Wireless Skype application will be available starting Thursday, March 25, the two companies announced Tuesday.
Skype mobile for Verizon will initially work on nine handsets, including the BlackBerry Storm, the BlackBerry Storm2, the BlackBerry Curve, the BlackBerry Curve 8530, the BlackBerry 8830 World Edition, the BlackBerry Tour, the Motorola Droid, the Droid Eris, and the Motorola Devour.
The Devour will also launch for Verizon on Thursday in conjunction with the Skype mobile release, Verizon said.
The app will provide free, unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls and instant messaging, which will not count against Verizon customers' monthly minutes or data usage, John Harrobin, senior vice president of digital media and marketing for Verizon Wireless, said during a call with reporters.
There are several ways users can access the app: all users can visit skype.com/go/mobile to download; Droid, Droid Eris, and Devour users can download it via the Android Market; existing BlackBerry customers can click on a Skype icon that will be automatically pushed to their home screens on Thursday; new BlackBerry customers can access the icon via the download folder; or users on any of the phones can text "Skype" to 2255 and Verizon will send a link on Thursday.
The app will run in the background and be "always on," Harrobin said. "There's no longer the need for appointment calling." It will also import your phone's contacts.
Calls made using Skype mobile will be routed over the Verizon network.
"The same coverage quality and reliability that you expect from Verizon applies to Skype mobile," Harrobin said. "We made a decision to route all voice calls over the Verizon wireless network that all other calls go over. We did this to ensure that it was a great experience [and] that Skype mobile worked wherever and whenever customers needed it to work."

domain: news


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Independent garages inspire more loyalty in customers than main dealer rivals, according to the latest Castrol Professional Car Servicing and Repair Trend Tracker.
Trend Tracker researchers asked thousands of motorists for details about their last service or repair, and found that customer retention is strongest in the independent sector.
Quite simply a higher percentage of customers return to independent garages again and again when compared to franchised workshops, suggesting a more positive experience in the independent aftermarket.
Last October the same study predicted that independent workshop numbers would increase by 5% in the coming years while the number of their franchised counterparts would decline by 10%.
Taken together the results represent a stunning vote of confidence in the independent sector.
“Our networks had a 99% customer approval rating at last count, so we know how hard our members work to give customers a positive experience. That’s why motorists come back to our networks again and again.”
The new study is not the first to suggest customers prefer the service they receive at independent garages. Research last year by automotive software supplier GForces found that over half of the 2000 drivers polled used independent garages, while a much smaller number (34.1%) used main dealers for aftermarket work.
The Castrol Professional Car Servicing and Repair Trend Tracker does sound a note of caution for the garage sector as a whole.
A record number of new car registrations since 2012 is bringing the average age of British vehicles down. That is leading to a reduction in the number of cars needing retail repairs between scheduled services, the study suggests.
“New cars tend to need fewer traditional repairs,” agrees Maria. “But there will always be plenty of work out there for good independent workshops which stay bang up to date with changes in the industry.
“For instance, we know that hybrid cars will become increasingly common over the next few years, and the good news is that well over 500 of our technicians have gained qualifications that allow them to work on hybrid engines since 2012. In fact, AutoCare is leading the way when it comes to repairing and servicing hybrid vehicles.”
GROUPAUTO, parent company of AutoCare and Approved Garages, is one of the largest suppliers of training to garage professionals in the UK.


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Apple has released updates for its Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices preview apps for Windows 11 users. The updates bring notable improvements and bug fixes to the preview apps, enhancing the user experience of Apple Music, Apple TV+, and device management.
Apple removes references to mixed reality headset in latest Windows 11 preview app update
Last year, Microsoft announced that Apple Music and Apple TV apps would be coming to the Microsoft Store in 2023, offering a better experience of these apps than going via the web or using Apple’s outdated iTunes for Windows app. In January, preview versions of the two apps and an Apple Devices app for managing devices appeared in the Microsoft Store.
Apple has provided no release notes for the latest updates, so we don’t have a comprehensive list of changes and fixes. However, users on Reddit have discovered that the Apple Music Preview app now appears to include support for Windows 11 media controls and keyboard shortcuts, support for lyrics, and provides smoother continuous playback of consecutive lossless tracks.
The Apple Devices Preview has reportedly removed references to the software that will run on its rumored mixed reality headset. References to “xrOS” and “RealityOS” are now gone. Apple internally called the headset software “Reality OS” or “rOS” when it was in development, then decided to update the public name to the less generic “xrOS” name, which stands for “extended reality.” Apple is expected to unveil its headset at WWDC in June.
There is no information yet on what’s new in the Apple TV Preview app, but we can expect improvements and bug fixes to make the user experience smoother.
It’s important to note that installing any of these preview apps will prevent iTunes for Windows from opening, and other content types such as audiobooks and podcasts will be inaccessible until Apple releases a compatible version of iTunes or the user uninstalls the preview apps.
In summary, the updates for the Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Devices preview apps for Windows 11 users bring notable improvements and bug fixes, enhancing the user experience of these apps. With the mixed reality headset rumors in the air, the removal of references to the software that will run on the headset is a significant development. We can expect Apple to continue improving its apps and services on Windows devices, offering a better experience to users.


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Look out, Millie Bobby Brown.
Following in the sartorial footsteps of his “Stranger Things” co-star, who starred in the 2018 Calvin Klein advertisements and is a red carpet favorite, Finn Wolfhard is the new face of Saint Laurent.
The Netflix star, 16, channels Bob Dylan for a new black-and-white campaign for the French fashion house, posing in sunglasses with a skinny pinstriped suit and polka-dotted button-up as well as a leather bomber jacket and striped shirt with a skinny tie.
Now that Wolfhard and the rest of the “Stranger Things” kids are earning $150,000 an episode for the series’ third season, it makes sense that they’d step up their game in the fashion department. Wolfhard has big shoes to fill; previous Saint Laurent faces include Travis Scott, Marilyn Manson and, most recently, Keanu Reeves.
Shawn Mendes, who attended the 2019 Met Gala as a guest of Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello, has already given Wolfhard’s ads his stamp of approval: “This is amazing,” the singer commented on an Instagram of the campaign.
Your move, Steve Harrington.


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Glanbia Co-op eases peak milk limits for 2022
The board of Glanbia Co-op has announced changes to its peak milk management policy for 2022.
The news comes following the processor’s review of its latest milk supply forecasts for this year.
According to Glanbia, its milk supplies are 2.4% behind the same period last year. It stated that this is primarily due to the “extreme and unprecedented” inflation in farm input costs and slower grass growth.
It stated that the delay in the planning approval process for a new cheese plant at Belview necessitated the introduction of a peak management policy for April, May and June in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Therefore, the process will increase each individual milk supplier’s peak milk allocation for April, May and June of 2022 to their 2023 figure.
Peak milk policy
According to Glanbia, the impact of this relaxation will be as follows:
- For suppliers with less than 400,000 litres, this will increase their 2022 peak allocation by 10%;
- Secondly, for those between 400,000 and 550,000 litres, this will result in an increase in their 2022 peak allocation of 5%;
- Lastly, for those with a supply in excess of 550,000, this will result in an increase in their peak allocation of 2.5%.
The processor announced two additional changes to the peak milk policy for April:
- For April, the board will limit the over-supply penalty to 30% of the prevailing milk price and;
- It will waive the first €500 of deductions incurred in April for each supplier.
In a statement, Glanbia co-op chairman, John Murphy, said:
“We believe that these changes are appropriate given the latest milk supply trends versus the available milk processing capacity.”
“The board do not want suppliers cutting back supplies aggressively at a time when processing plants are not at maximum capacity.”
Based on milk supply trends and available processing capacity, the board will review the penalty policy for May and June in early May and communicate to suppliers.
Today’s news comes following Glanbia’s move to issue milk payments to farmer suppliers twice monthly to assist with cashflow.
Read more on that news story.


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Digital music library specialist Melco Audio has today released a new over-the-air firmware update, enabling access to Roon 1.8, itself
Oh my goodness look at these, to me they are perfect. PMC is introducing a sumptuous walnut veneer option to the finishes of the fact signature models, as a result of client feedback
What a differe..
Looking suspiciously like the wonderful Focal for Bentley Radiance headphones, Focal has launched these Celestee closed-back headphones
An interesting pitch from Philips looking forward by Kostas Vouzas, CEO Europe, & Martijn Smelt CMO Europe at TP Vision as they take us through the first Philips TV & Sound stories for 2021
Zurich based Piega has launched a series of more affordable speakers called the Piega Ace Series


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LAS VEGAS (KSNV & MyNews3) -- Medical marijuana marketplace brings more than 600 vendors are showcasing items that locals may soon be able to find in dispensaries.
People attending the Champs Trade Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center got a first-hand look at the growing industry.
"We're looking to learn as much as we can about what the products are out there, that are going to be relevant to dispensaries and to also patients, caregivers," Lamb said.
Champs is the largest trade show of its kind, selling smoke shop paraphernalia, some of which Lamb says can be beneficial for medical marijuana patients.
People, of course, always talk about the smoking, but from a medical marijuana standpoint, smoking is not necessarily the best way to ingest the drug; many treatment options include edibles or vaporizing.
With more states legalizing medical marijuana, trade show organizer and President Jeffrey Hirschfeld has he's seeing more vendors and businesses here each year, and he's already gotten inquiries from locals looking to get into the industry. "We started out with approximately 34 booths, and today we'll have about 650 booths of the best manufacturers vendors and distributors in the market," Hirschfeld said.
Lamb says that's a sign of what's to come as the medical marijuana industry continues to growing both locally and nationally.


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Newswise — Research by an Indiana State University doctoral student found that students did equally well on a test whether reading from a digital book or a printed one.
Jim Johnson, who also is director of instructional and information technology services in the Bayh College of Education, surveyed more than 200 students. Half of the students used an iPad2 to read a textbook chapter while the other half of the students read from a printed textbook chapter. The students then took an open-book quiz with eight easy and eight moderate questions on the chapter.
"Few people have done a lot of research into what I'm doing," Johnson said. "Mine directly ties performance with perception by undergraduates."
Johnson's research specifically examined three questions: Are there any significant differences in reading comprehension test scores of students when using paper texts versus digital texts? Are there any differences in reading comprehension test scores with regard to gender or between text formats and gender? Is there a relationship between the hours of experience using tablet computers and reading comprehension test scores among study participants?
"No matter what the format, no matter what the preference, they did well," he said. "It was interesting that the gender didn't matter on the test scores."
Men had a mean score of 12.87 out of 16 while women had an average score of 13.60 out of 16. Students age 21 had an average score of 13.87 out of 16 while students 25 and older had an average score of 13.5 out of 16.
He also found that there was no significant difference on test scores whether or not the participant had past experience on a tablet.
"The delivery method didn't make any difference," he said.
Of the participants, 88 percent said they had read books on laptops, netbooks or desktops while 51 percent said they had used an iPad, iPhone or iPod to read books. Additionally 36.1 percent said they used a cell phone to look at digital texts. When asked what they would like to use, 69.1 percent said they would want to use an iPad, iPhone or iPod to read digital text and almost the same amount, 68.7 percent, said they would prefer a laptop, netbook or desktop computer. Only 48.1 percent said they would want to use an e-book reader. In considering digital textbook readers, 74.7 percent said the ability to browse the Internet was important while 70.4 said they wanted to read email, 62.7 percent said cheapest price was important. Of the prices students said they would pay, 40 percent said between $100 and $200 while 16.7 percent said they would pay between $200 and $249.
"The bulk of undergraduate students are looking at cheaper devices. That's important for students," he said. "The market is driving our students to Android devices like Kindle."
However, some problems remain in the digital textbook market. Students expressed concern about eye strain from reading text on electronic devices. Johnson said one participant became so nauseous reading the digital text that she was unable to complete the study. Also students expressed concern about the high price of digital textbooks as well as the battery life, software and reliable technology.
In focus groups after the initial test, Johnson said students didn't like the high cost of digital book rental or the inability to resell digital textbooks.
"A lot of the students didn't like the idea of renting books," he said.
Johnson said there needs to be further discussion about the cost of digital textbooks and how to keep costs down. Faculty members also need to be encouraged to write and create their own digital textbooks and resources for students, he said.
Digital texts would allow professors to use the most current resources.
"Publishing on paper is always slower," he said. "Delivery options for students are important. Information should be on demand."
In the future, Johnson said professors could select chapters from different digital textbooks and combine it into one digital textbook so students wouldn't have to buy different textbooks to read chapters that the professors like.


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M&M'S launched three new, limited-edition M&M'S Peanut flavors for its new Flavor Vote campaign: Mexican Jalapeño Peanut, Thai Coconut Peanut and English Toffee Peanut. The new flavors will be available at retailers nationwide beginning January 28.
The Mexican Jalapeño Peanut flavor combines spice with chocolate. The Thai Coconut Peanut flavor is a savory sweet taste inspired by the tropics of Thailand. The English Toffee Peanut flavor contains a creamy, sweet flavor profile.
By voting in this year's Flavor Vote, fans will be entered for the chance to win a trip to all three countries that inspired the new flavors: Mexico, Thailand and England. Starting January 28, fans can try each new flavor and cast a vote online at www.flavorvote.mms.com, or text the word "Vote" to 84444 and following the instructions in the reply text messages. Participants can vote once a day until May 17.
The M&M'S brand launched its first-ever Flavor Vote in 2016, in which fans helped select Coffee Nut as their favorite peanut-flavor to join Original Peanut on shelves. In 2018, in the brand's second Flavor Vote, fans chose Crunchy Mint as their favorite crunchy flavor.
The flavor with the most votes will be announced in August 2019 and continue to be sold at stores nationwide.


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13 new sets in the Marvel series
Thanks to the American retailer Eugene Toy and Hobby, fans of the most popular series of Marvel and DC constructors have learned what new items await them this coming summer. According to the information published on the website, it is clear that the Danish company plans to release 13 new themed packs.
A certain intrigue and ambiguity of this news is created by the fact that the seller listed only the articles of the alleged new products and their cost in dollars without indicating the names of the prefabricated kits. Thus, for today it is only known that the cheapest designer will be sold at a price of 9.99 dollars (757 rubles), and the most expensive — at 209.99 (15,906 rubles). We have already said that by the cost of the game set, many have learned to determine what is waiting inside the branded boxes. However, in this case, not everything was so simple. First of all, because it is not clear to which particular line of designers this or that article belongs. So far, only three sets, numbered 76220, 76221 and 76231, have been determined by commentators that they represent the Marvel series.
So for now, this information should be treated only as rumors. Among the officially announced Lego sets, only the designer is now listed 76209 LEGO Marvel Thor’s Hammerwhich offers to recreate the mythical weapons of a superhero almost life-size from cubes.
[ad_2]Метки: «the, according, all, almost, already, among, and, announced, art, been, big, bootlegbricks, bootlegbricks.ru, boxes, brand, branded, brick, bricks, can, cheap, Chinese New Year, coming, company, con, cons, constructor, constructors, cost, create, created, cube, danish, design, designer, designers, Doll, dollars, expensive, fan, fans, first, for, form, from, game, Gustave Eiffel, hammer, have, his, how, information, inside, Iron Man 3, items, its, James Cameron, kit, kits, known, Lego, Lego Duplo, Lego Friends, Lego Mindstorms, Lego Technic, life, line, man, many, marvel:, mat, most, mythica, new, news, now, number, off, offers, official, officially, only, out, own, pack, packs, part, plan, plans, popular, prefabricated, present, price, product, products, published, release, rubles, rumors, series, sets, she, should, sign, size, Social network, sold, Star Wars, summer, super, Superhero, Tangerine Tree, than, that, theme, themed, thing, this, three, Toy, Tyrannosaurus, use, wait, waiting, was, website, what, which, will, with, without


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Table of Contents
There’s a slew of long-range, electric cars slated to hit the market by 2020.
Anumber of these EVs will be made by luxury automakers and will likely cost upwards of $50,000.
But there are also a number of automakers working on EVs with a range of 200 miles plus that will likely have amore friendly price tag.
Here’s a breakdown of the long-range, electric cars coming to market in the next few years that people will actually be able to afford.
Get the latest Ford stock price here.
Tesla’s Model 3 is expected to go into production before the end of 2017.
The vehicle is slated to start pricing at $35,000. However, consumers will have to pay a couple thousand extra if they want Autopilot features to be activated.
CEO Elon Musk has said the Model 3 will have a range of at least 215 miles per charge and will be spacious enough for five people.
Tesla began taking reservations for the vehicle in April of 2016 and has about 400,000 pre-orders, according to the company.
While the company plans to begin delivering some of the pre-orders by the end of 2017, the bulk of the orders will likely be delivered in 2018. So if you want your Model 3 before 2020, you better place your order now.
Tesla also plans to launch its Model Y, a compact SUV, by 2020.
In early May, Musk said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call that the Model Y will arrive by either late 2019 or 2020.
Musk has kept mum on most other details pertaining to the upcoming vehicle, but he has said that it will be a compact SUV and that it will be built on a separate platform than the Model 3.
Tesla has not shared a price range for its upcoming compact SUV. However, given it already sells a luxury SUV, the Model X, and that the company wants to target the mass market, it’s likely the upcoming SUV will have a more competitive price tag.
Also, considering General Motors already sells its all-electric SUV crossover, the Chevy Bolt, for $37,500 before tax incentives, it would make sense for Tesla to price the Model Y in the same ballpark.
However, there’s always the possibility that Tesla could make the Model Ya cheaper version of the Model X, similar to the BMW X3, which begins pricing at about $40,000.
Volvo’s first electric car is coming by 2019.
In April, Volvo said that it will build its first all-electric car in China and export it around the world.
The vehicle is expected to have a 100 kWh battery and a range of 250 miles per charge. But perhaps the best thing about the upcoming vehicle will be its price tag.
Lex Kerssemakers, CEO of Volvo Car USA, said in March that he was pushing for its first electric car to fall in the $40,000 range.
Volkswagen will launch an electric crossover with a range of about 300 miles per charge in 2020
The German automaker plans to launch its Volkswagen I.D. in 2020.
The crossover is expected to have a price tagof $30,000 to $35,000 and have a range of about 250 miles to 300 miles per charge.
The vehicle will have a top speed of 99 mph and be able to accelerate from zero to 62 miles per hour in less than 8 seconds.
Ford will launch an all-electric crossover utility vehicles (CUV) in 2020 that will be for the masses.
While Ford hasn’t revealed exactly how much the vehicle will cost, Raj Nair, the company’s chief technology officer, told Business Insider that it will be priced for the masses.
“Our plan is for it to be an affordable vehicle, a mainstream model,” Nair said. “To get electrification volumes where we would all like them to be we have to make sure we make the affordability targets or otherwise they are going to stay as a niche item or a pure luxury item,” he said.
Nair also said that the vehicle will have a range of more than 300 miles per charge.
Toyota is expected to launch the 2018 Nissan Leaf this year.
The 2018 Nissan Leaf is slated to go on sale later this year and is expected to have a range of 200 plus miles per charge.
The 2017 Nissan Leaf prices at about $30,700, but since the upcoming Leaf will have a greater range, it’s likely to cost a little bit more.
General Motors has already launched its Chevy Bolt, which starts at about $37,500.
The Bolt has a range of 238 miles per charge, a top speed of 91 mph, and costs about $37,500 before a $7,500 federal tax credit.
GM began production of its vehicle last year, beating Tesla to the punch for creating the first mass market, electric vehicle.
The post 7 electric cars coming to market by 2020 that you can actually afford appeared first on Business Insider.


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SimplyCast President & CEO Named to Top 50 Atlantic CEOs for Third Consecutive Year
2 min read
Saeed El-Darahali, has been named as one of Atlantic Canada Top 50 CEOs.
This is the third time in as many years SimplyCast’s CEO has received this award.
This award highlights Atlantic Canada’s most esteemed business leaders who have nurtured their organizations, advanced their industries, and continue to give back to their communities.
Silicon Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, May 13, 2022 — SimplyCast, an ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018-certified leader in engagement automation for organizations in over 175 countries, is happy to reveal that the President & CEO, Saeed El-Darahali, has been selected as one of the top 50 CEOs for 2022 by Atlantic Business Magazine for the third year in a row.
Atlantic Business Magazine has devoted an issue every year for the past 23 years to celebrate business leadership in Atlantic Canada. As well as being featured in a special magazine issue, CEOs selected for this list are also recognized at an annual gala, which occurred in person for the first time since 2019 at the Halifax Convention Center.
“It’s an honor to be recognized a third time with this award,” said Saeed El-Darahali, President and CEO of SimplyCast. “I’d like to thank the Atlantic Business Magazine for including me in this list along a lineup of other formidable Atlantic business leaders. I’m also grateful to the entire SimplyCast team who have worked so hard to help us develop this company and build a competitive, all-in-one engagement automation platform.”
The magazine issue showcasing all the winners became available on May 13, 2021, and the gala for the Top 50 CEO awards took place May 12, 2021.
SimplyCast is an ISO 27001, 27017, and 27018-certified, leading provider of engagement software for organizations worldwide. Providing both emergency and non-emergency communication technology, SimplyCast offers 20+ communication tools and channels to help organizations maximize their efficiency. The company's 360 engagement platform is a feature-rich solution combining marketing automation, inbound marketing, and interactive communication. With customers in over 175 countries, including many of the most recognized brand names around the globe in retail, non-profit and hospitality industries, SimplyCast provides organizations the ability to communicate with the people they serve at the right time, using the right tools.
About Atlantic Business Magazine
Founded in 1989, Atlantic Business Magazine is a bi-monthly glossy consumer publication that covers all areas of business within the four Atlantic provinces. It is the longest publishing regional business magazine in Atlantic Canada (celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019) as well as the most award-winning and largest circulation business magazine in the region, publishing a minimum of 35,000 copies per issue. Atlantic Business follows a controlled circulation model of distribution: it is distributed to business readers via The Globe & Mail and select locations such as airport executive lounges, major hotels, and Marine Atlantic ferries. Its flagship issue of the year is its May/June celebration of corporate leadership excellence – the Top 50 CEO awards.
For more information contact:
Atlantic Business Magazine
P.O. Box 2356, Station C
St. John’s, NL


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San Antonio has made progress in its aim to become a tech city, but work remains to be done, industry leaders said Tuesday at downtown startup hub Geekdom.
Local business leaders who had opposed three city charter amendments on the ballot are frustrated, if not surprised, by Tuesday’s election results.
In a development that local tech leaders said legitimizes the city’s budding tech district, WeWork will open a downtown San Antonio co-working space in late 2019, the company confirmed Friday.
City of San Antonio staff proposed rules for e-scooters, garnering support from both City Council members and the companies that will be subject to them.
H-E-B announced Wednesday it is building a facility in Austin to house its delivery subsidiary Favor and expanding digital departments.
Reports of accidents involving electric scooters have begun to surface locally as the City Council contemplates how to regulate them.
As it gears up for a potential second offering on the public market, what does the future hold for one of the city’s startup success stories: Rackspace?
San Antonio ranks 46th among the top 50 North American markets when it comes to tech talent, according to an annual ranking.
Another regulatory quagmire looms as e-scooters descend on San Antonio, but this time feels less adversarial than a 2015 rideshare debate as lawmakers and stakeholders come to the table.
State Rep. Diego Bernal and Mayor Ron Nirenberg urged support for LGBTQIA rights at Tech Bloc’s Tech2sDay event.


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Drug coverage decisions and new offerings from OptumRx, Caremark, Cigna and Wellcare made the list of the top-read drug coverage news in 2022.
Beginning in 2023, Cigna will offer three new Medicare supplemental Prescription Drug Plans (PDPs) in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. All plans have $0 copay options for select medications purchased through preferred home delivery. Additionally, Cigna will offer Medicare Advantage (MA) plans with enhanced features and benefits in 581 counties within 28 states.
Beginning in 2023, OptumRx plans to include on its formularies Amgen’s Amjevita, a biosimilar of AbbVie’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira (adalimumab), as well as two additional biosimilars. The new biosimilars will be available on the Select and Premium formularies, according to a company spokesperson. No information has been provided on tiering or utilization management strategies that could be employed.
OptumRx has made a number of utilization management changes — requiring prior authorization or step therapy and putting quantity limits — on its formularies effective Jan. 1, 2023. The PBM now requires prior authorization for 16 products, including 11 that are used to treat patients with diabetes.
CVS Caremark has released its Performance Drug List, Standard Control, for April 2022. Effective April 1, the company has removed 20 products from its Standard Control formulary when compared with the list effective from January 2021. CVS Caremark has also added several products, including some branded therapies.
Beginning in January 2023, Wellcare will expand its range of Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Plan offerings. Its pharmacy offerings will be expanded to include 102 plans nationwide and will include $0 copays for COVID-19 vaccines and testing. Additionally, Amazon is now a preferred retail pharmacy. All plans will include a $0 tier 1 benefit when filled at preferred pharmacies, including Amazon, Walgreens, CVS, and most grocers.


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June 24th was probably a roller coaster of a day for a lot of people. At one moment they are going to the store to get products for dinner, at the next moment, they learn that the UK has..
Even with the current Brexit crisis going on, one still cannot doubt that the UK has quite a few nice cities that simply draw people in. The best thing about them is that nothing will..
June 24. Britain votes itself out of the European Union. David Cameron steps down as prime minister. On a day when it seems like the world.


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Radio Shack to close up to 1,100 U.S. stores after big Q4 loss
Electronics retailer lost $191.4 million in the last quarter of 2013, the critical holiday season.
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FORT WORTH, TEXAS — RadioShack plans to close up to 1,100 of its underperforming stores in the U.S. and reported a wider loss for its fourth quarter as traffic slowed during the critical holiday season.
The stock tumbled more than 24 per cent in Tuesday premarket trading.
The store closings would leave RadioShack with more than 4,000 stores.
For the period ended Dec. 31, the electronics retailer with a 90-year history in the United States, lost $191.4 million, or $1.90 per share. That compares with a loss of $63.3 million, or 63 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, RadioShack Corp. lost $1.29 per share. Analysts expected a loss of 16 cents per share.
Revenue declined to $935.4 million from $1.17 billion. Sales at stores open at least a year fell 19 per cent on weaker traffic and the soft performance of its mobility business. Analysts expected revenue of $1.12 billion.
The Source in Canada was known as Radio Shack until it was bought by U.S.-based Circuit City and operated as The Source by Circuit City. The Source stores were purchased by BCE in 2009 after Circuit City went bankrupt.
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Portadown artists exhibit the craft which helped make businesses work
An exhibition in Portadown is celebrating the 10th anniversary of a programme helping Northern Ireland's craft experts and designers to make it in business.
'Making it: 10' is presented by the Arts Council, Craft NI and Invest NI at the Millennium Court Arts Centre as part of August Craft Month. The programme has invested £200,000 in start-up craft businesses since it was set up in 2005.
The start-ups include Derek Wilson's ceramic business, which recently won a contract with US retail giant Crate and Barrel to produce a new dinnerware range.
Textile designer Jude Cassidy has also benefited, and recently won a contract with the Mandarin Hotel chain to produce blankets and cushions.
The exhibition opens at the Millennium Court Arts Centre, 2 William Street in Portadown and continues until September 23. Admission is free.


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IT company Infosys is eyeing 12-14 per cent revenue growth in constant currency terms in financial year 2021-22, while it sees margin at 22-24 per cent, the company's MD and CEO Salil Parekh said in a presentation during the company's 40th annual general meeting.
The company registered a 5 per cent revenue growth in constant currency terms in FY21, while its operating margin stood at 24.5 per cent. The IT giant's large deal wins rose to $14 billion in FY21 from $9 billion in FY20.
Helped by technology infrastructure and early start, Infosys effectively transitioned to work from home which helped it successfully work through the second wave in India for supporting clients. He said the company's prior investment in US localisation is helping it in current scenario of travel restrictions.
Addressing the shareholders at the AGM, Infosys Chairman Nandan Nilekani said while a challenging 2020 has ushered in a 2021 fraught with uncertainty, Infosys is well-positioned for another year of market-leading performance in a post-pandemic, cloud-first, distinctly digital era.
Saying that the dramatic shift to living and working online has altered the entire business landscape in irrevocable ways, Nilekani said, "Our clients need help from a trusted thought leader and digital solutions expert who they can count on to navigate them to their future. Infosys is committed to being that partner for them."
The company has been investing in building digital capability, which it can leverage with flexibility and speed to deliver business value to its clients in their digital transformation journey, he said.
"Our acquisitions during the year - GuideVision, Blue Acorn, Kaleidoscope Innovation and Carter Digital - have further strengthened these digital capabilities. What's more, we also have a robust innovation ecosystem and first-of-its-kind operating model to expand the speed, scope and scale of transformational innovation for our clients and help them run their businesses like digital natives," he added.
While the pandemic put to a test the company's position as a credible global digital services and consulting provider of choice for enterprises, the results delivered by the company and the resilience shown by it has shown that it is well-placed to thrive and help clients thrive in a challenging but exciting digital-first markets, the Aadhaar architect said.
"At the same time, on behalf of the board, I want to assure you all that we will not rest on our laurels. On the contrary, we will seize the moment to build on this head start to expand our market share further as we serve global enterprises in their digital acceleration journey," Nilekani added.
Copyright©2022 Living Media India Limited. For reprint rights: Syndications Today


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Is it any surprise that after the past few years of outbreaks and recalls, almost no one trusts products from food manufacturers anymore? IBM recently completed a survey of shoppers in the 10 largest cities, and found that a lot of consumers want more information than they currently can get about their food choices.
The decomposed snake head that a Clifton Park, NY man discovered in his side portion of broccoli has reached the end of its strange, unappetizing journey—for now. Since Consumerist broke the story back in May, there have been no leads.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee just approved comprehensive food safety reform, setting it up for consideration on the House floor in the coming months. The Food Safety Enhancement Act was approved by voice vote, indicating bipartisan support and suggesting a relatively smooth passage through the entire House.
Esther doesn’t want much. She just wants to buy some yogurt that hasn’t expired. It seems that’s too much to ask of her local Safeway near Baltimore.
Back in 2007, a man in Northern Ireland opened up a loaf of bread and found a whole, mercifully dead, rat. (The BBC is reporting that it’s a mouse, but it’s either a giant mutant mouse or a rat.) A judge heard the case this week, and fined the bakery ÔøΩ1,000 ($1,653) “plus costs.”
Back at the beginning of May, Consumerist broke the story of a man who discovered a decomposing snake head in his side order of broccoli at TGI Friday’s. We even had charming pictures. The next week, Albany, NY-area news media reported that the snake wasn’t steamed with the broccoli, but the restaurant and police still don’t know who the herp perp could be. What they do know is that the notoriety from the snake incident has hurt business.
The Food and Drug Administration might actually be able to protect us from dangerous food if Congress passes a bill recently circulated by six powerful members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The draft legislation would finally empower the FDA to quarantine suspect foods and slap violators with both civil fines and criminal charges.
The FDA is set to receive $3.2 billion next year but they don’t yet have a plan to make our food any safer. That doesn’t sit well with Congressional appropriator Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), who at a recent hearing told Acting FDA Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein: “A lot sounds to me like buzzwords from a past administration.”
National Journal has an interesting article about the intersection of free trade and globalization with increased food safety abroad and at home. Rather than reject shipments of Chinese fish for being raised in disgusting environments, the US should require trading partners to set and enforce their own strict food safety standards and use globalization as a way to promote better standards worldwide, instead of a race to the bottom.
Raw alfalfa sprouts have been linked to salmonella outbreaks across the country, according to the FDA. Recent salmonella cases have been diagnosed in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Utah, and West Virginia, and the FDA is linking this outbreak to salmonella infections a few months ago in other states, including Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. (Photo: Erin Collins)
Reader David was eating his dinner of Trader Joe’s Chimichurri salmon when he found an unexpected garnish: a rather dead and fully cooked worm. It was brown and roughly an inch long. He e-mailed the company, then brought the fish (and worm) back to the store for a refund. While the store supervisor’s handling of the situation was stellar, the reaction from Trader Joe’s corporate has been…nonexistent.
The pistachio recall has been expanded after FDA inspectors found salmonella contamination in “critical areas” of Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella, Calif.
There have been quite a few “salmonella pistachio” recalls in the past few days, so the FDA has set up pistachio HQ on their website. You can search and/or browse the Pistachio Recalled Products List, learn about salmonella, and generally freak out about contaminated pistachios.
The long-awaited country of origin labeling or COOL will be enforced beginning today — so you can expect to see a “COOL” on “muscle cuts and ground beef (including veal), pork, lamb, goat and chicken; wild and farm-raised fish and shellfish; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; peanuts, pecans, macadamia nuts and ginseng.”


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(Reuters) - An influential U.S. consumer watchdog is investigating online reports that Apple Inc's new iPad throws off an unusually large amount of heat, and will publish its findings later on Tuesday.
Consumer Reports, which reviews everything from electronics to cars, noticed comments on online forums and on Apple's website about excessive heat from the new device, which went on sale Friday, and decided to look into the issue, a spokesman said.
The group will publish its findings on Tuesday after finishing a battery of tests, the spokesman added.
An Apple spokeswoman said the iPad was "within our thermal specifications."
(Reporting by Edwin Chan; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)


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This article outlines the tech that is changing how we game and will game for the foreseeable future. It’s worth being in the know, as some of these changes are already affecting the sector and will soon become the norm for a large number of games and gaming platforms.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology have begun to move out of the labs and into test products and gaming studios. Self-learning AI that has led to self-driving cars and computer vision is now making a major impact on the gaming industry. The start was the first chess-playing computer Deep Blue and there are now sophisticated games that can respond to player feedback and in-game characters that evolve as the game progresses.
AI has, to some degree, been used for a number of decades in gaming, but it is only now becoming more sophisticated as programmers make use of the improved computing capability and the numbers of players justifies the development in this area. Researchers are actually using the game environment to improve software intelligence as the strict rules and rewards systems in most games make for a great training and proving ground for AI that will be used to eventually perform many mental human tasks.
The use of VR headsets and software has increased as the technology improves and the headsets become more affordable, smaller and more streamlined. The Oculus Quest is the most progressive platform and there are now games that have grossed over $10 million for the Facebook Reality labs.
Not only will you be able to play online at Ruby Fortune but soon you will be able to walk into the casino in the comfort of your own home. The main development has been the reduction in costs for top VR headsets and the introduction of a wider games spectrum. These aspects have led to a much bigger user group, allowing for more to be invested to further improve the platforms, and hardware requirements.
This is where the games’ visual and audio content is integrated with the gamers’ real-life, real-time environment. Augmented reality doesn’t need a separate room to create the gaming environment, as it creates a playing field within the existing environment. The use of headsets is not widespread and currently the main AR games are played using mobile handsets and mobile gaming devices. AR is normally the process of superimposing the gaming environment on top of the users actual environment. The game can be as simple as a game of virtual chess played on a table. The pioneer in this field was the Pokémon Go app that used the smart phone gyroscope and GPS to create a location-based augmented reality game set up. The Pokémon you find are in your own real-world environment.
These now popular techniques and systems will form the future of online and computer gaming. They are simultaneously being tested and proven in the gaming context to eventually be available in all aspects of human life. From the smart house to the self-driven car, the aforementioned technology is changing more than just the way we game.


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Busy economic agenda next week
David Russell | [email protected]
The main items today are from across the Atlantic, with European economic sentiment, French gross domestic product, and Italian manufacturing data all scheduled for early in the session. The only release in the United States is the final revision to consumer sentiment at 9:55 a.m. ET.
Economists expect a reading of 77.3, up from the earlier 76.8 figure. It's unlikely to have a big impact on trading because it's an update of an existing number.
Politics could also loom large as Republicans and Democrats wrangle over the budget and debt ceiling. If they fail to reach an agreement on the budget by Tuesday, the government would shut down.
Next week is also packed with important economic data. It begins Sunday night with Chinese and Japanese manufacturing reports, both of which have the potential to move markets worldwide.
Monday morning brings Australia's central bank announcement, often viewed as an indicator on the strength of the Chinese economy. The Chicago Purchasing Managers Index is the only U.S. released scheduled.
Tuesday brings the Institute of Supply Management's monthly manufacturing index, construction spending, and auto sales. European manufacturing data also comes out before the opening bell.
Wednesday features the European Central Bank's interest-rate announcement in and ADP's monthly report of U.S. private-sector payrolls in the morning. Bank of Japan releases its key announcement in the evening, which can also affect trading.
Thursday brings service-sector reports for Europe and the U.S., plus initial jobless claims and factory orders.
It climaxes with the monthly non-farm payrolls report on Friday morning. While only a handful of companies are scheduled to release quarterly earnings, the quarter ends during the week, so unexpected preannouncements could occur.


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Trends and Highlights From Plant Based World Expo Europe 2022
Vevolution attended Plant Based Expo Europe in London, UK this year to host two start-up pitch events and exhibit. The best part of the expo for us was meeting start-ups and founders in person, and being able to taste incredible products. Here is a quick overview of the show, and some of the highlights that stood out to us:
- Plant Based World Expo is geared towards buyers exhibiting to start-ups exhibiting to retail buyers. The expo was filled with innovative plant-based companies from around the world showcasing their products, and the top category we saw at the show was plant-based CPG.
- Classic plant-based ingredients like soy, wheat, pea protein, and cashews were most common, but we also saw companies using emerging ingredients like mycelium.
- There was a wide range of sizes for companies exhibiting at the expo, ranging from small early-stage start-ups, like La Vie, to scale-ups like Omni Foods and Wicked Foods
Plant-based seafood start-ups filling a traditional white space
For the past ten years, there have only been a few large players in the plant-based space producing alternative seafood. At the expo, a few up and coming start-ups had the opportunity to demo their plant-based seafood products. Revo Foods, an alternative seafood company based in Vienna, Austria, sampled its plant-based salmon and tuna spread at the expo. Our favorite was the tuna spread, which is based on a blend of wheat and pea proteins, and algae oil. Another popular booth was Verdino Green Foods and their brand Unfished; the brand's “PlantFish Fillet" was a big hit.
Unique alternative protein analogs
Burgers and sausage links were still one of the most popular alternative protein product categories we saw amongst the expo, but it was refreshing to see a few less typical protein alternatives. Cavi-art, a Danish company, sampled its plant-based caviar made from seaweed. Israeli-based Redefine Meat shared tastings of its 3D-printed meat, including bratwurst, flank steak, and tenderloin.
Different takes on alternative chicken
Plant-based chicken is a category that has had strong growth over the past few years, and two companies producing their creative variations of alternative chicken stood out to us. Shicken, a London-based brand, uses its soy-based chicken to craft takeaway Indian meals like curry and kabobs. Estonia-based Mati works with fermented mycoprotein to craft whole-cut chicken analogs. FoodBev Media’s Plant-Based Taste Awards for best chicken product included brands Shicken, UMIAMI, Eatplanted, [MOCK], Impossible, and Unconventional.
Alternative ingredients for plant-based cheese
Cashews and almonds are the most ingredients for plant-based cheese, but we saw a few companies stepping out of the box to craft alternative cheese. Parma Food Labs, an Italian start-up, uses fermented chickpeas as the base for its shredded and grated cheese products. Willicroft, based in Amsterdam, produces cheese alternatives like their Greek White and Fondue using legumes sourced directly from farmers. Our Co-Founder Erik also found a giant cheese wheel made by MozzaRisella, which uses organic sprouted brown rice grown with Permaculture practices to achieve zero-pollution farming.
The only plant-based pet food at the expo
The PACK stood out at the expo as the only start-up exhibiting plant-based dog food. The London, UK-based company produces several varieties of nutritionally complete wet canned dog food made from a base of pea protein, lupin beans, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.
Vevolution's pitch events
Vevolution hosted two pitch events at Plant Based World Expo. Willicroft, Shicken, and Revo Foods pitched in front of a panel of retail buyers at our Seed to Shelf event. We heard fundraising pitches from Raging Pig Co., Better Nature, and Mati Foods at the Pitch and Plant event, which featured a panel of investors. Our two events helped startups to connect directly with buyers and investors at the busy expo.
Plant Based World Expo is the largest 100% plant-based conference in Europe, and it was incredible to see over 200 exhibitors from this space. We met a lot of new and familiar start-ups, and we encourage those who are not yet apart of our platform to sign up and join the leading plant-based and cell-ag investment platform.


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Apple has announced a new target of using 100% recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries by 2025.
And by the same year, magnets in Apple devices will use entirely recycled rare earth elements and all Apple-designed printed circuit boards will use 100% recycled tin soldering and 100% recycled gold plating.
Currently, the company now sources over two-thirds of aluminium, nearly three-quarters of rare earths, and more than 95% of tungsten in its products from recycled material. The new targets advance the company’s 2030 goal to make every product carbon neutral.
‘Every day, Apple is innovating to make technology that enriches people’s lives, while protecting the planet we all share,’ says ceo Tim Cook. ‘From the recycled materials in our products to the clean energy that powers our operations, our environmental work is integral to everything we make and to who we are.’
The company’s use of 100% certified recycled rare earth elements has expanded in the last year, increasing from 45% in 2021 to 73% in 2022. Since first introducing recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of iPhone 11, Apple has expanded its use of the material across its devices, including in all magnets found in the latest iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook, and Mac models.
As magnets are by far Apple’s largest use of rare earths, the new 2025 target means nearly all rare earths in Apple products will soon be 100% recycled.
Don't hesitate to contact us to share your input and ideas. Subscribe to the magazine or (free) newsletter.


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RBI slaps penalty on Equitas
The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) as the company was selling mutual fund, pension and insurance products without taking the approval of the regulator.
- Published 9.03.18
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 lakh on Equitas Small Finance Bank (SFB) as the company was selling mutual fund, pension and insurance products without taking the approval of the regulator.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the RBI said that on March 1 it had imposed a "monetary penalty of Rs 1 million on Equitas Small Finance Bank Limited for non-compliance with one of the licensing conditions stipulated by the RBI".
"This action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers," the RBI said.
The banking regulator went on to add that Equitas had undertaken the activities of rolling out mutual fund units, pension products, insurance products and portfolio management services without obtaining its prior approval.
Based on the information received and other relevant documents, a notice, dated January 18, 2018, was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for non-compliance with the licensing conditions stipulated by the Reserve Bank of India at the time of issuing the licence to the bank, it said further.
After considering the bank's reply and oral submissions during the personal hearing, the RBI came to the conclusion that the charge was substantiated and warranted the imposition of penalty.
Equitas Small Finance Bank (ESFBL) had started its banking operations from Chennai in September 2016.
The RBI had issued licences to 10 entities in September 2015 to provide basic banking services such as accepting deposits and lending to unserved and underserved, including small business units, small and marginal farmers, micro and small industries and unorganised sector entities.


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By Andreas Geiger - 06/25/08 06:57 PM EDT
Under pressure from high-tech companies, the Bush administration has asked for formal World Trade Organization (WTO) consultations with the European Union (EU) over barriers to U.S. computers, printers, video cameras and other products. This is the first step towards litigation in the WTO. The International Computing Technology (ICT) Industry and the participants of the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) have been putting pressure on the Bush administration to act.
The ITA was established in 1996 as a tariff-cutting mechanism by the WTO. Duties for ICT products covered by the agreement were eliminated for all participants. The purpose of this WTO agreement is defined in Paragraph 1: “Each party’s trade regime should evolve in a manner that enhances market access opportunities for information technology products.”
The dispute has arisen in part because of the EU’s very literal interpretation of the agreement. The EU has threatened to introduce duties on a variety of ICT products as companies add additional functions that did not exist at the emergence in 1996. The problem is that this decade-old agreement has never been amended. For years the global ICT industry has been asking the EU to reassess these WTO trade rules on high-tech products to allow for some technological progress. In fact, shortly after the ITA was signed, a committee was established to consider revising the ITA to add additional categories. But nothing happened, and the EU has argued ever since that the products in question are not covered under the ITA.
Critics say the European Union has never really supported the idea of amending the agreement to account for the rapid development of high-tech products. Tech companies like Apple, Oracle, Intel or Cisco therefore assert that their products are being unfairly hit by high tariffs by the EU, even though the products should be protected by the ITA. These tech companies argue that European Union has interpreted the agreement inconsistently, undermining the foundation and the principles of the agreement. It appears to them that the EU is waiting for the development of products just so it can exclude them from the ITA.
The EU needs to be responsive to the ICT industry’s concerns. There are some really convincing arguments for the EU to act: the negative consequences of the European Commission’s introduction of tariffs to ITA products significantly outweigh the marginal benefits that some component manufacturers within Europe might receive. Consumers, in the end, will pay the price as the costs for ICT products rise due to import tariffs.
But for now, European decisionmakers give little indication that they want to revisit the ITA. Even so, taking the EU to WTO trade court may not be the best response; it will inevitably lead to a protracted fight that leads to sore feelings on both sides. It may be better for American companies to take their case directly to Brussels, the seat of the EU, and argue, through direct lobbying, why free-trade policies need to be supported.
Geiger is founder and managing partner of Alber & Geiger, a leading EU government relations law firm with offices in Brussels and Berlin. Before that, Geiger was head of the EU Law Center of Ernst & Young, and president and CEO of Cassidy & Associates Europe. He has written a handbook on lobbying the EU.


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Finding healthy, sustainable seafood at the supermarket can be a difficult task. The problem isn’t that there aren't any good options; it’s that recognizing the best choices is tricky. For example, is farmed fish a good thing or a bad thing? What does it mean if the package says organic? Here's what you should consider when buying seafood, and how to choose the catch for that’s best for the ocean and your family. This story originally appeared on Rodale’s Organic Life in December 2016.
At first glance, wild-caught fish sounds like the more sustainable, natural option, but that’s not always the case. Everything depends on what kind of fish you’re talking about, the fishing or farming method used, and where the fish comes from. For example, wild-caught Pacific cod from Alaskan waters is considered a solid, sustainable choice, but wild-caught Pacific cod from Japan and Russia are on the don’t-buy list due to overfishing.
The same goes for all wild Atlantic cod. But farmed Atlantic cod, on the other hand, is a good choice because it's raised in closed tanks, which have fewer issues with disease and water contamination than fish raised in open net pens.
Sound confusing? Absolutely. To make navigating the waters of seafood shopping easier, download the Seafood Watch app. You easily search for the type of fish you’re buying to find the most eco-friendly option. The app can direct you to reputable fishmongers in your area, too.
The environmental nonprofit group Food and Water Watch has named the “dirty dozen” worst seafood choices you can make. These are fish that fail to meet two or more of the group’s criteria for safe and sustainable seafood. Red flags include species overfishing, pollution from farming methods, and contamination concerns, such as high mercury levels. Among the worst offenders are caviar, imported farmed shrimp, and Atlantic bluefin tuna. Read more about the 12 fish you should never eat.
Yes, fish fraud is a real thing. Sometimes unethical sellers will try to pass off cheaper fish for expensive, more desirable varieties. Often this is a case of swapping a more abundant, usually less-sustainable fish for a rarer one, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, such as mislabeling farm-raised salmon as wild-caught Alaskan salmon or pretending talapia is red snapper. The EDF advises looking out for prices that seem too good to be true, out-of-season fish (like fresh wild Alaskan salmon in winter), and outright false labels (like wild Atlantic salmon, which is endangered and not available at all). (This sustainable salmon buying guide can help.)
According to the World Health Organization, eating seafood is the number one way people are likely to be exposed to mercury. Mercury is toxic to the nervous system, and even small amounts can cause serious health problems, particularly for fetuses and children. If you’re wondering how mercury even ends up in fish in the first place, it’s largely due to emissions from coal-fired power plants, according to the United States Geological Survey. Burning coal releases mercury into the atmosphere where it combines with water particles. Rain carries the mercury into oceans and rivers, where algae, fish, and other organisms absorb it from the water.
The best rule of thumb for avoiding mercury is that small fish contain less mercury than big fish due to the principle of biomagnification; when a big fish eats a smaller fish, the mercury gets passed up the food chain, so large predators accumulate more. Check out this handy chart from the Natural Resources Defense Council to see which fish have the least amount of mercury and how often it’s safe to eat them.
The Marine Stewardship Council is an international nonprofit that gives its seal of approval to fisheries that protect our oceans by using sustainable fishing practices. In order to earn the seal, fisheries are independently certified using the MSC’s criteria, which looks at whether the target species is healthy and if fishing practices are harming other sea creatures. However, there have been criticisms from various environmental groups that the MSC has actually certified fisheries even if the target fish are in trouble or despite minimal information on how the fishery is impacting the environment. Still, the label does ensure that the fish you’re buying is really what the label says it is and can be traced back to a legal fishery, according to DNA data released by the MSC.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported from countries with lax fishery management laws, like China. Due to the lack of restriction, many species are overfished.
There’s also the issue of bycatch—when unwanted species like dolphins or whales are captured in fishing nets. In the US, fishermen must take precautions to protect marine mammals, but these kinds of rules are not always enforced abroad.
Imported fish increasingly come from under-regulated factory farms, too, which are associated with heavy antibiotic use, high levels of chemical exposure, and environmental destruction.
In most cases, you should buy fish from US waters; you’ll be able to spot it thanks to mandatory country-of-origin labeling.
If you see “organic” seafood, it’s an import. The USDA currently does not have organic standards for fish (though they are currently under consideration). Part of the issue is that, when it comes to the sea, organic is very hard to define. For example, wild-caught fish are excluded from any future organic label because it’s impossible to know what wild fish are eating. So can organic farmed fish be fed wild fish? It’s a complicated question. If you see fish claiming to be organic in the supermarket, they’re likely from Canada or the EU, which have their own organic seafood standards.


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COFFEE PRICES IN INDIA
Vietnam price drop raises hopes for India robusta coffee exports
A large chunk of India’s coffee exports comprises robusta coffee variety, the prices of which have been rising in the past few months.
Coffee exports up by 18% due to strong demand, global prices
In a chat with ET Now, Challa Srishant, MD, CCL Products talks about the surge i...
High coffee prices fail to add aroma to Chicory demand
Chicory production, has shown a rise thanks to better crop in Uttar Pradesh though the...
Dwindling local coffee supplies impeding efforts of exporters to cash in on robusta prices
"Exports are tapering as Indian robusta prices are ruling high in the global market with restricted availability in the local market,” said Ramesh Rajah.
India's coffee exports up 18.15% in April-August
The overseas sale of coffee rose despite lower export realisation and likely fall in the domestic output in the 2016-17 crop year (October-September).
After food, prices of tea, coffee hiked in Parliament
Prices of food items in Parliament canteen were hiked from new year in varying degrees in view of controversies over the items being served at subsidised rates.
Coffee Board predicts marginal drop in coffee crop
The board has pegged the post monsoon crop of 2016-17 at 316,700 tonnes, around 1.03 % fall from the post blossom estimate of 320,000 tonnes, assuaging the fear of the growers.
Good days ahead for India as rains spoil Brazil coffee
The USDA report predicted a record arabica output for 2016-17 in Brazil that will offset the lower robusta production due to a drought in the country earlier in the year.
Costa Coffee to focus on making India outlets profitable
“What we have now come to know is that this business can be very profitable for us if we do the right things rather than chasing numbers,” said Virag Joshi.
Instant coffee makers import raw coffee as prices rise here
Prices of Indian green coffee of both varieties Arabica and Robusta are about 10% higher than global prices. So exporters are importing raw coffee.
Coffee exporters depend on imported raw coffee thanks to fall in prices
Total coffee exports from India for nine and a half months to September 15 showed marginal increase at 236,779 tonnes year-on-year.
Air Costa smells the coffee; gets pan-India license from DGCA
The airline currently covers eight destinations including Vijayawada, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Tirupathi, and Vizag.
India is one of the best markets: Starbucks Coffee
Howard Schultz, chief executive of Starbucks Coffee Co., said he is excited about India and that it is one of the best markets for the Seattle-based company to be present in.
Global coffee consumption and the coffee segment is growing: Challa Srishant, CCL Products
"India currently we are doing about 200 different types of products but Vietnam is still doing a near about five or six products."
India's coffee exports rise 13.39% in 2015-16
In value terms, total exports increased to Rs 5,204 crore in the last fiscal from Rs 4,877 crore in 2014-15, as per the Board data.


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There is a certain correlation between the world of digital currency and traditional finance, even though very few people will acknowledge this to be true. PayPal, while a direct competitor of Bitcoin, has also embraced the digital currency in the past through its BrainTree subsidiary. To make matters even more interesting, one of the most prominent Bitcoin entrepreneurs – Wences Casares – has taken up a board position at PayPal to help the company shape the future of money.
Alos read: Word of Mouth Marketing Is A Powerful Tool For Bitcoin Companies
PayPal Board Welcomes Wences Casares
The future of money is up in the air right now, as various companies all over the world are all vying for the top contender spot to disrupt traditional finance. Even major online payment services such as Paypal are worried about their position in the future, which is why the company is trying to stay ahead of the curve. Hiring one of the most prominent and successful Bitcoin entrepreneurs in history seems to be the smart move.
With so much competition from FinTech companies and entrepreneurs all over the world, the time for innovation has never been direr than right now. Unfortunately, keeping up with current trends is not as easy for some companies as it is for others. PayPal is in a privileged yet awkward position at the same time.
Despite being the most popular online payment processing service in the world, PayPal is rethinking their role in the future of money. While the service has been a convenient solution for many years, the company is unable to offer its core service in all countries these days. Capital controls and struggling economies are forcing the hand of Paypal in most cases, and alternative solutions have to be found.
If there is one person who knows a thing or two about entrepreneurship and disrupting the financial sector, it is none other than Wences Casares. Even though he is only 41 years old, Wences has founded more successful companies in the past few years than most people will do in their entire life. By getting involved in the Bitcoin world as an early adapter, Casares managed to get a headstart in the digital currency ecosystem.
Furthermore, it is no coincidence PayPal decided to bring someone on board who is heavily involved in Bitcoin. The popular payment processor announced their plans to adopt Bitcoin back in 2014, although no exact details have been released to date. By hiring a prominent figure in the Bitcoin world, the company seems to be honoring their earlier statement.
PayPal CEO and President Dan Schulman stated:
“I join PayPal’s directors and the entire PayPal team in welcoming Wences to our Board. Wences’ unique line of sight into the future of commerce is ideally aligned with PayPal’s vision of transforming the management and movement of money for people around the globe.”
Bitcoin is The Future, No Bones About It
This move by payPal is another validation of the legitimacy of Bitcoin. Whereas many people have refuted the success of Bitcoin, in the long run, the digital currency is not going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, it looks like the digital currency is only gaining popularity over time, and companies would do well to get aboard the Bitcoin train before it is too late.
At the same time, community members are still waiting for more real life Bitcoin use cases. Up until this point, there are very few situations where paying in Bitcoin is possible for regular purchases, unless people use a debit card. However, there is no denying Bitcoin is a valuable addition to the financial sector, and mainstream adoption seems to be just a matter of time.
Images courtesy of PayPal, Wences Casares, Shutterstock
Also published on Medium.
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In the summer of 2019, Fenix introduced its HM65R model, a seven mode, 1,400-lumen, magnesium-cased, USB-C-rechargeable model with robust impact and weather-resistance ratings. And now, 18 months and several hundred five-star reviews later, the Littleton, Colorado company has announced the debut of the new and improved predecessor to the HM65R with the HM65R-T.
The newly redesigned T-spec retains the original model’s magnesium-alloy housing, 6.6’ drop rating, and USB-C port though now offers an extra 100 lumens and an impressive 558’ beam distance thanks to the use of Luminus SST40 LED emitters. Now IP68 rated for dust and water-proofing and backed by a lifetime warranty, the 3.21oz HM65R-T can operate at extreme temperatures ranging from -31°F to 113°F (or -35°C to 45°C). What’s more, it’s 18,650mAh battery’s maximum runtime of 24-hours can be monitored via a five-light LED indicator, a pivoting head allows the beam to tilt down up to 60-degrees, and lockout switch-enabled polymer buttons prevent the light from being turned on while in a bag or pocket. The biggest update, however, is undoubtedly the addition of a newly-designed widened hollow headband that’s now secured via a BOA fitment system. Available now, the Fenix HM65R-T magnesium outdoor headlamp is priced at $100.


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Samsung makes you emotional with Bixby Voice Assistant (Sorry Siri)
We all have our personal preferences when it comes to brands, especially when it comes to tech brands. It's a constant war between consumers that support Samsung vs Apple.
Recently, Samsung India launched a new campaign that showcases its voice assistant application called Bixby. This voice-powered digital assistant has an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system that is designed to make device interaction easier and specifically to avoid the complexity of increasingly fully-featured devices. The ad is inspired by a real story of a mother suffering from MND (Motor Neuron Disease) that lost her ability to communicate and move.
An NGO by the name of Asha Ek Hope foundation reached to Samsung with a unique request to integrate the patient's voice that can be used by the voice assistant Bixby. The team at Samsung recorded the patient's voice, synthesized it, and converted her voice into the voice of Bixby on a Samsung Smartphone.
You can watch the advert here.
The ad has an emotional connection that will leave you to look out for tissues.


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We’ve been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Matter, the new, open-source, and platform-unifying standard that promises to make our various smart home devices play nicer with each other, and now comes word that we’ll have to wait a little longer.
Mentioned in this article
Apple HomePod Mini
Initially, the Connected Standards Alliance (formerly the Zigbee Alliance) had announced that we might see the first Matter-enabled smart products by the end of the year. But as Stacey Higginbotham at Stacey on IoT reports, the CSA now says that a software development kit for Matter won’t be finalized until the first half of 2022, which means the first Matter devices won’t arrive until sometime next year.
In a release announcing the delay, CSA CEO Tobin Richardson cited the “need to get it right” in terms of ensuring the upcoming Matter specification and SDK are “stable, deployable at scale, and meet market expectations for quality and interoperability.”
Richardson also blamed the “resurgence” of COVID, as well as the addition of nearly 30 more companies to the Matter group, according to Higginbotham.
Formerly known as Project CHIP, Matter is an IP-based protocol that’s compatible with Wi-Fi, ethernet, and Thread. Matter has the backing of some of the biggest names in the smart home market, including Amazon, Google, Signify (owner of the Philips Hue smart lighting brand), and Samsung’s SmartThings.
Just last month, Amazon announced that all of its current, Alexa-enabled Echo speakers and displays will support Matter, while Google had previously said its Nest speakers and displays will support Matter, too. Apple’s HomePod mini comes with its own integrated Matter radio.
Matter promises to unify the thicket of competing smart home platforms, as Matter-certified devices will be able to recognize each other and work seamlessly together across different ecosystems, including Apple’s HomeKit, Amazon’s Alexa, and Google’s Assistant-powered Nest platform.
In other words, if you buy a Matter-certified smart gadget, you (ideally) will be able to control it with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri, and it should also work with any other Matter-enabled devices you own.
That’s a welcome prospect for anyone who’s pulled their hair out trying to make different makes and models of smart home devices work well together. For now, however, it looks like we’ll have to keep coddling our stubborn smart gadgets through the end of the year, and probably even longer.


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Since entering the Atlantic Provinces last Fall WalMart has captured 2.3% of the grocery market. In that same period Loblaws stores managed to pick up another 4.4%, Sobeys is down 3.2% Costco down 0.5% Other losses are to small guys like Foodlands, coops, and other independents.
Keith’s had a PR problem when someone late night tweeted “Sluts like Keith’s” from the official Keith’s twitter account. Labatt released that released a statement that said they were “hacked”, I guess hacked means they don’t know which stupid employee tweeted it.
The Seahorse is done tonight in it’s original location.
Freshii and Thai Express entered the Scotia Square food court, Korean Garden and their “crack” Chicken return next week. Mezza was scheduled for late November. Former tenant of the SS Food Court Dill Pickle is now operating beside Boston Pizza on Granville.
Also for the folks who work in the pedways, Italian Market is opening a prepred food counter where Coffee and Colours was in Barrington Place. They will have all the sandwiches, entrees, salads etc. that people love on Young St.
Mizu, the all you can eat sushi and thai spot going in where Hamachi Grill was on Portland St. Is scheduled to open on Tuesday.
Sephora in Mic Mac opens this Friday in Mic Mac Mall.
2 follow ups to items I posted earlier this year, Scotiabank renaming officially announced for Bayers Lake Cineplex and Moxies Halifax location will be going in the end unit beside Putting Edge in Bayers Lake.
City Streets closed all its NS and NL stores.
Cash Money opens in the former Downsview Tims.
Changes at Halifax Shopping Centre: -Food court to basement level where bowling alley was new escalators going in where Lawtons currently is. -Lawtons to old Dollarama -RUMOUR: H&M expected to move in what is currently food court. -RUMOUR: Zara in where service Canada was in Tower 2
Partys R Us has had its doors closed at the Halifax hopping Centre Annex.
The Brown Hound on Argyle is done,after a name change from Pipa this summer, the new idea didn’t take and they have now closed their doors.
A Stitches opened in Bayers Lake where West 49 recently left.
Retraction: Nestle Toll House, reopened this week but there are franchising issues.
and today makes 1001 days of HalifaxReTales , what started as an idea of having a twitter account, noticing when things are opening has blossomed into something more. I thank all of you for your support.
Another successful City Harvest went by yesterday, great to see folks out and about enjoying the best of our city.
The Carrot opened yesterday a project I have been volunteering with for a while, it was very satisfying to open the doors and bring fresh market idea to Gottingen.
Nestle Toll House at Spring Garden and Queen seems to have closed as of Thursday.
A coffee house the Darkside Cafe is coming to residential part of Windmill Rd
The Starbucks on the Burnside part of Windmill Rd opened this week.
JoeLees cafe is opening in the St Vincent development on Dutch Village Rd.
Robie St Station the all day breakfast restaurant opened where janes on the common used to be .
KFC in Tantallon closed and already signs up that a Mary Browns is coming soon.
The Colby Beverage Room has changed its name to The British Bulldog Gastro Pub.
Hillcrest VW was purchased by the O’Reagan’s group
Freshii, who had already announced that they were opening in Scotia Square food court is also now opening in Burnside. The former Dairy Queen is being converted over to the salad chain.
Mezza Kitchen who is also opening in Scotia Square announced that they will be bringing their Lebanese goodness to Downsview Plaza in Sackville.
XS Cargo has started to slow liquidate the local stores, XS Cargo who was facing bankruptcy was bought up by Western Canadian liquidator Fields. One or both of the metro stores will be converted to Fields as they kill off the XS Cargo name, this will also mean a shift to clothing over electronics.
Wing’n It,will open in place on WingDings in Cole Harbour on Monday.
There is an unconfirmed RUMOUR that Rouges Roost has been purchased by a PEI Brewer.
Previously mentioned here that a Tims and Wendys were going in beside the Enfield Big Stop. The signage went up and it is a Burger King Drive Thru and a Tim Hortons going in. This was not part of their new partnership just a preplanned coincidence.
Signage has been removed from the Oxford Theatre,it is not closed or closing it is just being Cineplex’d up.
Signs are now on the door that Kababji in Burnside has indeed closed.
Seadogs on Gottingen St has reopened under new management after closing a couple weeks ago.
Where the Turkish Food Shop opened and closed recently on Bedford Highway has new signage up,saying it will be Vietnamese Specialty Food.
a Subway Cafe has opened in the Sackville Sports Stadium, Pumpkin Spice Latte with your BMT!
Petite Urban Pooch a doggy daycare targeted at the under 20lbdogs opens tomorrow on Isleville.
Looking for fun today? 11-3at Bishops Landing. Food Struck, Poppa Smokes, Airstream Cafe & Halifax Press will all be in one place for your Food Truck needs and there is no admission.
Next Saturday is City Harvest, I Local HFX annual event, ilovelocalhfx.ca forfulllisting andi have Started on the map
- Walmart Enters Atlantic Market Superstore Wins, More eats for the Pedway People
- Mizu and Sephora opening in Dartmouth, Moxies in Bayers Lake
- Nestle TollHouse ReOpens, HSC Changes, Brown Hound Down
- October 2014
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Four ways art and beauty can strengthen a local economy by can do places
- social innovation
- scottish government
- year of young people
A group of enterprising people in Alexandria have been working at reviving the fortunes of the Mitchell Way shops.
Susan Maxwell is at this campaign's forefront and wants to rebuild the local economy by setting up a collaborative Can Do Space focusing on creative business.
Alexandria's 1970s shopping centre has become tired and some of its major stores have put down the shutters for the final time. Many places across the country are facing this - leading to plummeting footfall and high unemployment.
On the principle of "do something" Susan started by filling a forlorn space with an arts and crafts centre just in time to give some small businesses a pre-Christmas boost. Now she has her eyes firmly set upon the next stage; setting up a larger version called the Loch Lomond Craft Centre to bring a new sense of pride and beauty to Alexandria.
For more information and for the full article visit can do places here.


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BTC Wires: Lori Beer, the CIO of JP Morgan remarked that he was convinced of the potential of blockchain technology to completely substitute other existing forms of technology. Speaking at a press conference in Buenos Aires, he said that he believes blockchain will replace present technology in some years’ time, according Cripto247, an Argentinian website. He remarked that as years pass, the world will see blockchain being implemented in more and more fields and will move from simply coexisting with other technologies to being the chief one.
Beer said to the news outlet that JP Morgan makes use of blockchain technology for the purpose of simplification of paying and storing information about customers, especially under the KYC (Know Your Customers) Policy. Beer went on to say that blockchain technology is important in preventing misappropriation of funds. Beer also added that the company is now taking several paths where they have invented a blockchain that runs on an open code having an ethereum core. Although real blockchain tech has not yet managed to settle issues concerning scalability and privacy. The company is also currently linked to Hyperledger as well as the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance. Applying this technology in the field of business is, according to Beer, more crucial to the firm than just the technology. JP Morgan is attempting to cut costs as well as to come up with new kinds of products with blockchain at their core.
When asked about how JP Morgan feels about buying digital currencies, Lori Beer said that their organization would only work with something that falls within the ambit of regulatory control. Currently their experts are studying the situation with cryptocurrencies. However she refused to comment on the company’s stance on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs).
Earlier this month,it had also been reported that CEO of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon had also expressed enthusiasm about blockchain, saying they were involved in testing the technology and were on their way to implement it in several ways.
In May, the company had also filed a latent for peer-to-peer payments network with blockchain powering it. That application plans to use DLT for payment processing.
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OnePlus 10 Pro display design revealed
After only being able to see the back panel of the OnePlus 10 Pro all last week, the company has released a new image that gives us more information about its design. This morning, OnePlus China Decided to introduce the company’s new smartphone in all its glory in its official post on Weibo.
According to Gizmocchina, in the shared poster, the OnePlus 10 Pro appears to have two curved screens with very narrow margins in all directions. Compared to the OnePlus 9 Pro, the curves of the new model appear to be smaller in the poster. Also, its screen-to-body ratio on the Pro 10 is larger than on the Pro 9. The hole inside the screen is also in its previous place; That is, the upper left corner of the screen.
In addition to the demo, the post mentions that the OnePlus 10 Pro will be the first smartphone to launch the latest version of ColorOS 12.1 in China. ColorOS 12.1 is said to bring the company’s internal response to Apple Animoji, as well as provide a faster and smoother software experience for OnePlus users.
OnePlus will unveil the flagship OnePlus 10 Pro on January 11 (January 21) in China. Pete Love, The founder of the company has introduced many of its features before the event.
The OnePlus 10 Pro is also powered by the latest first-generation Snapdragon 8 chip. The phone is equipped with a 120Hz LTPO 2.0 AMOLED display on the front and an island of Hasselblad triple camera on the back panel. It is also powered by a 5,000 mAh battery that supports 80-watt SuperVOOC wired charging and 50-watt AirVOOC wireless charging. In addition, reverse wireless charging will be offered to buyers.


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Company Overview of Utility Associates, Inc.
Utility Associates, Inc. engineers, manufactures, and supports critical connectivity and mobile video solutions for public safety/service, transit, and utility industries in the United States. It provides an operating platform for locating, tracking, and supporting various aspects of mobile field operations. The company’s products include Mobile Internet of Things (IOT) Engine, a multimedia communications ecosystem combining voice, video, and data from a single source, as well as elements comprising router options, such as The Core, a multimedia powerhouse that fuels The Engine and keep people safe and connected combining Wi-Fi capabilities with video recording and management; and The Rocket...
1484 Brockett Road
Tucker, GA 30084
Founded in 2000
Key Executives for Utility Associates, Inc.
Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer
Chief Financial Officer and Vice President
Vice President of Corporate Operations
Vice President of Business Development and Chief Revenue Officer
Compensation as of Fiscal Year 2015.
Utility Associates, Inc. Key Developments
Decatur Police Department Deploys Utility Associates, Inc.'s BodyWorn™ Cameras
Oct 7 15
Utility Associates, Inc. officially announced that the Decatur Police Department in Decatur, Georgia is currently deploying Utility's BodyWorn™ police body cameras—the only automated, policy-based body-worn police camera currently available on the market. The Decatur Police Department has equipped its police force of 47 officers with BodyWorn™ police cameras. In addition to BodyWorn™, Utility's Rocket™ vehicle router has been installed in 37 Decatur Police Department patrol cars to optimize each car with powerful and secure wireless internet capabilities for up to 1,500 feet around the vehicle. Utility's revolutionary BodyWorn™ camera system leverages the capabilities of a smart phone—unparalleled camera function, Wi-Fi connectivity, 4G LTE service and comprehensive GPS location system—and is the only available product to automatically start recording based on the individual police department's specific privacy policies using a number of policy-based triggers, including vehicle sensors and a built-in accelerometer. According to a recent national poll of 1,000 voters measuring the American public's perspectives of police body camera capabilities, two capabilities stand out in particular: 94% of those polled believe a body-worn camera should have an Officer Down Emergency Alert wireless reporting capability and 89% want Central Dispatch to be able to send out immediate Be On The Lookout (BOLO) alerts with pictures and text to all body-worn cameras. These two high rated capabilities enhance police officer safety, and both are included in Utility's Bodyworn camera system. In addition to its technological capabilities, BodyWorn™ offers automated real-time video uploading to a protected cloud-based storage system in a compressed HD format. This feature will enable the Decatur Police Department to store a larger quantity of video more securely and for a longer amount of time at a significantly lower cost compared to competing body-camera technology providers. The Decatur Police Department also has access to Utility's newly released redaction software, SmartRedaction™, which automatically identifies faces, body parts and other identifiable objects in a video and can selectively blur images based on need and specific privacy-policy restrictions as well as local, state and federal laws. This unique feature minimizes lead-time to publish redacted video taken by a body-worn camera, eliminates added labor costs and maximizes both accountability and transparency of law enforcement.
Federal Appeals Court Affirms Dismissal of Digital Ally’s Lawsuit Against Utility
Mar 10 15
Utility announced the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has affirmed the April 2014 dismissal of a Digital Ally Inc. lawsuit against Utility. In October 2013, Digital Ally filed a declaratory judgment complaint against Utility in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas seeking a determination that Digital Ally did not infringe any claim of Utility’s U.S. patent 6,831,556 (556 patent). The declaratory judgment action was dismissed for lack of personal jurisdiction April 9, 2014, and that dismissal was affirmed without opinion by the Federal Circuit February 10, 2015. Additionally, the Federal Circuit has taxed Utility’s costs related to the appeal against Digital Ally. Utility filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Digital Ally in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in June 2014. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for all unauthorized acts of infringement as well as an order permanently enjoining Digital Ally from continued acts of infringement of the 556 patent. That lawsuit has been stayed pending Patent Office proceedings between the parties. In the Georgia lawsuit, Utility asserts that Digital Ally’s DVM-800, DVM-750, and DVM-500 Plus video recording systems infringe on its 556 patent. The 556 patent is directed to digital multimedia systems that may be utilized with emergency response vehicles.
Utility Associates, Inc. to Launch New CORE Vehicle Server
Oct 23 14
Utility Associates, Inc. will launch a new device - the CORE vehicle server - that combines Utility's 4G LTE wireless router technology with solid-state storage and digital ports for telemetry and accessories, including HD IP digital video cameras. The CORE will debut on October 26, 2014, at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference at booth 759. The CORE combines, into one unit, HD digital IP video recording capabilities, 120GB of solid-state storage, Bluetooth, ZigBee and additional Ethernet and digital I/O ports with Utility's proven 4G LTE wireless router technology used in the company's Rocket(R) vehicle router product. Additionally, the CORE integrates automatically with Utility's new Ultimate Witness Generation 2 BodyWorn(TM) camera - allowing for BodyWorn cameras to start recording automatically when the CORE video recording is triggered by the siren, lightbar or other automatic recording triggers. CORE vehicle server features: 4G LTE cellular connectivity and optional satellite data connectivity, 802.11ac WiFi client for video offload that is four times faster than 802.11n, 8 Digital I/Os and 2 relays for vehicle triggers such as siren, lightbar, and doors, WiFi Host, Bluetooth, and ZigBee for mobile IoT connectivity, 120GB solid-state storage, Ethernet ports for front and back seat HD digital IP cameras, Dual MIMO cellular and WiFi antennas, Automatic recording triggers, Automatic synchronization with Utility's Generation 2 BodyWorn video camera, Integrated vehicle diagnostics, asset tracking, and future IoT connectivity. The CORE will be offered at $3,399 - including dual MIMO cellular and WiFi antennas and front and back seat HD digital IP cameras.
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Your chance to see the iconic new Ford Mustang ahead of its UK launch
Ford have taken 1,800 Mustang orders already and demand for the new muscle car has been overwhelming. Now we are welcoming a brand new Mustang to Nottingham
November 06, 2015
Since announcing that they would finally be releasing a right-hand drive version of the iconic Ford Mustang model in the UK, Ford have taken 1,800 Mustang orders. Demand for the new muscle car has been overwhelming and now Sandicliffe are welcoming a brand new Mustang to Nottingham in order that you can see this model for yourself first-hand.
To help you find out more about the new Mustang, we’ll be welcoming a UK spec, right-hand drive model to our Trent Bridge FordStore between 10am on Tuesday 10th November and 4pm on Sunday 15th November.
Phil Lycett, Ford Manager at Sandicliffe Trent Bridge, said: “More than nine million Mustangs have been sold since its first model was produced in 1964 and, this year, British drivers have finally got the chance to buy an official right-hand drive model.
“The stylish and modern Mustang will not only appeal to car enthusiasts desperate to officially own this famous car for the first time but also to drivers of other sports cars who want to add a Mustang to their collection.”
The New Ford Mustang is available in either coupe or convertible models in right-hand drive with the choice of two engines. There is a 2.3l EcoBoost Petrol engine and a 5.0 V8 petrol engine and the Mustang has a bold and purposeful look featuring a distinctive upper ‘shark bite’ grille, low bonnet and the iconic Mustang logo in the centre of the grille.
Mr Lycett from Sandicliffe added: “The launch of the new Mustang is a huge event and so we’re delighted that East Midlands drivers will get the chance to see this superb new car for themselves ahead of its official release.
"With prices starting at just £29,995 on the road the new Mustang is one of the most affordable performance cars available. We expect there to be a high demand to see the car and so we\'d advise anyone interested in coming down to our FordStore Trent Bridge site to make an appointment."
For more information about the new Ford Mustang or to make an appointment to see the car at Trent Bridge between Tuesday 10th November and Sunday 15th November call Sandicliffe on 0330 119 2288.


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Costa Rica launches Americas’ first carbon neutral coffee
Costa Rica will be the first nation in the Americas to export carbon-free coffee. Carbon Clear (a climate change company works to control and reduce CO2 emissions) certified Coopedota’s coffee to the British Standards Institute’s PAS 2060, which is the only specification for demonstrating carbon neutrality.
Coopedota’s efforts to make its coffee carbon neutral began in 1998 when it reduced by 40 percent energy consumption for the farm. Twelve years later the company has achieved carbon neutrality. The Coopedota coffee farm is located in the southeastern province of San José.
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